In this study we aimed to examine teacher learning within a context of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams. Five interdisciplinary teams were studied for a period of one year. Data was... Show moreIn this study we aimed to examine teacher learning within a context of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams. Five interdisciplinary teams were studied for a period of one year. Data was collected on what and how the teachers learned, by means of examining changes in beliefs and by asking teachers to map learning activities they had been engaged in. Also, we studied how collaboration in interdisciplinary teams could characterized. Four general conclusions were drawn: - We found that teachers, who participated in an interdisciplinary team for a period of one year, and often reported learning experiences in which they learned a result of listening to or observing teaching methods of colleagues, changed their beliefs about teaching and learning. - Individual teacher learning in a context of collaboration in interdisciplinary teams occurred in sequences of learning activities, rather than in single learning activities. - Teachers often reported to learn as a result of acquaintance with ideas and experiences of colleagues with particular teaching methods by just listening or observing instead of collectively solving problems. - Exchanging ideas and experiences with experimentation aimed at shared problem solving, which points to a high level of interdependency, appeared to relate positively with teacher learning. Show less
